With cold weather coming, automobiles tend to suffer, the most general situation is to have troubles starting your Audi A4 in the morning with very low temperatures. Generally this is related to problems recharging the battery of your Audi A4 . There are some factors that can explain why your battery does not recharge correctly anymore, and in this article we will try to help you to resolve this issue that can prevent you from using your car. To accomplish this, first we will explain how recharging your car battery functions, then the different problems of recharging a Audi A4, and finally how to recharge an empty car battery.

charging-problem-battery-audi-a4

How does recharging the battery of a Audi A4 function?

Before we summarize the different problems of recharging the battery on a Audi A4 , we will explain to you how its recharging system works so that you can figure out the problems you are facing. A car battery functions like a phone battery, it will store energy to start your Audi A4 , turn on your headlights, listen to music, lower your power windows… However all these actions will consume energy and it might deplete the energy reserve that your battery can store. To get over this issue, the engineers have developed a component called the alternator , this component will use the energy generated by the engine of your Audi A4 to create energy thanks to a copper coil and a magnet. This energy will recharge the battery of your car . However, take into account that this process can only work when your motor vehicle is running, using electrical elements of your car when it is stopped will decrease the energy reserve of your car. It is considered that a battery of a xxx has a life span of 3 to 5 years.

Problems recharging a Audi A4’s battery

We will now describe the different battery charging problems on a Audi A4 you might be victim of. If your battery is not recharging because there is actually a issue in your electrical set up, we will now see the different cases.

Battery charging problem on Audi A4: My battery is discharging even if I am recharging it with a specific charger

In this first case, it is quite possible that your alternator is dead , in fact, if you control to recharge your battery with a charger and your Audi A4 to start, the problem most certainly originates from your alternator which should not be able to create any more current.

Battery charging issue on Audi A4: My car shuts off and does not start even if I have charged the battery

If you have recharged your battery and you have managed to start your Audi A4 but it switches off although you are driving and then does not start, the issue with recharging the battery of your Audi A4 is that your battery no longer holds the charge .

Battery charging issue on Audi A4: My battery is discharged although it is new

.
If you’ve just bought a battery and it discharges although you’re driving, the issue most probably originates from your alternator. It cannot result from your battery, which is new and consequently holds the charge. The second possibility is that you have a ground somewhere in your electrical system.

How to resolve the issue of battery charging on Audi A4?

We will now give you the solutions according to the issue you are facing. Here are the different problems and their solutions:

  • Faulty alternator: You can try with basic mechanics to check it with a pressure gauge to discover if it’s producing power. If it doesn’t, replacing it is the best remedy, depending on your motor you will pay a few hundred euros. This fix is feasible in the event your alternator is accessible.
  • Battery that no longer holds the charge: In such a case, the purchase of a new battery is the only realistic remedy. In actual fact, if you have already recharged it but it is still empty because it is good to be changed, count between 60 and 100 euros depending on your engine.
  • Ground in the electrical circuit: If you cannot start your Audi A4 but your alternator and battery are in good condition, it is possible that you have a ground on your wiring harness and that you lose energy, a check by a car electrician is in such a case required.

How to recharge an empty battery of a Audi A4

At last, to recharge the empty battery of a Audi A4 there are only few solutions, using a battery charger is the most efficient remedy, you can discover some for 50 to 100 euros at vendors like Oscaro. Otherwise you can use cables that will only provide the energy needed to begin.

If you need more guides on the Audi A4, go to our Audi A4 category.